Davis County approves contract with It Takes a Village to operate county animal shelter after months of dispute

Davis County Fiscal Court approved a contract on Jan. 23 with It Takes a Village Canine Rescue Incorporated to assume operation of the Davis County Animal Shelter and clinic beginning April 1, 2025.

The contract, adopted by roll call vote, will run through Dec. 31, 2027, with a three-year renewal option if both parties agree. Under the agreement, It Takes a Village (ITV) will submit eligible monthly expenses to the county for reimbursement and the county will continue to maintain the shelter and clinic facilities.

Why it matters: The shelter has been the subject of public concern for months after the county stopped low-cost spay/neuter services. Supporters of a local-run model said the county should retain daily operational control; advocates for ITV said an outside partner could stabilize operations, expand funding access and improve services.

County officials framed the contract as a funding- and operations-preserving arrangement. Charlie Caslin, Davis County Judge Executive, told the court the selection followed an investigation and a request-for-proposal process and said: “I have complete confidence in the investigation, the options that we went through, the request for proposal process that we conducted, the evaluation of the proposals, and the selection that we made.”

County staff summarized transition details. Jim Hendricks (staff member) read the contract summary for the record: ITV will offer employment to current shelter and clinic employees active at the time of transfer and pay each hired employee at their current salary rate. For full-time employees enrolled in the county health plan, ITV will pay 85% of the actual health insurance premiums up to the employee’s current benefit amount; full-time employees will receive a 6% stipend in lieu of the current retirement benefit. ITV will submit documented expenses to the county monthly for reimbursement in accordance with the contract.

The contract also contains protections for donor-restricted funds: money raised or designated for the Davis County Shelter will be used only at that shelter, ITV said, and ITV will report a line item for donations restricted to Davis County on its annual Form 990.

It Takes a Village representative Amanda Green, of Evansville, Indiana, told the court the group has worked with the Davis County Shelter previously and emphasized the organization’s volume of work: “In the 15 years that we’ve been in existence, we may not have the nicest paint job on the outside, but we have helped over 13,000 animals.” She said ITV preemptively moved animals out of a Spencer County shelter during recent severe weather to avoid putting staff at risk, and said ITV will prioritize animal and staff safety.

Dissent and concerns: Commissioner Marksberry voted no and said the proposal had “many flaws,” citing concerns about ITV’s staffing capacity, volunteer base and the cost ITV charges for spay/neuter services. Marksberry noted a prior ITV action in Spencer County during bad weather when animals were moved into foster care and said, “With that current number of animals, that would have been impossible to pull all the animals because they could not staff to take care of them in inclement weather.”

Several public speakers urged alternatives. Jeff Harris suggested using local funds held in the Carl Henry account to expand a locally run spay/neuter program and to hire a shelter director; veterinary technician Mary Alvey urged awarding the contract to a local rescue with established volunteer relationships to avoid additional turmoil.

What the court approved (vote): Judge Executive Charlie Caslin — yes; Commissioner Conder — yes; Commissioner Marksberry — no; Commissioner Casson — yes. Tally: 3 yes, 1 no. The contract’s initial term begins April 1, 2025.

Next steps and safeguards: The contract requires monthly expense documentation for county reimbursement and states that ITV must spend funds in the jurisdiction to which they were designated. County staff said the county will review documentation before reimbursement and that restricted donations designated for Davis County will remain at the Davis County Shelter.